Alone Together
by raetaylor
Summary: Two months ago, a case involving the Molina cartel ended with a death of fellow NCIS agent and it's all Callen's fault. Now, the agent-in-charge is going through a rough patch. He's spiraling downhill and the team's afraid that he's going to get himself killed one of these days. Can a case involving an Afghan militant group and an old friend from Deek's past change everything?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everyone! So this story idea sort of came to me during a boring afternoon at my internship. It'll hopefully turn into a multi-chapter fic but for now, this is what I have. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA or any of the characters.

* * *

When Callen walked into Mission that morning, his head was pounding and his legs felt wobbly. He entered the bullpen, ignoring the knowing looks his partner was sending his way, and heavily dropped his bag beside his desk. As usual, Special Agent Sam Hanna, his partner for the last 5 years was first to arrive at the headquarters of the NCIS Office of Special Projects; its location, of course, classified. The tall, dark, muscular man was already sipping his morning coffee. Callen sat down wearily, noting that neither Special Agent Kensi Blye, his desk mate, nor her partner Detective Marty Deeks, the team's LAPD liaison, were present. He stretched his tired body in an attempt to loosen his muscles, rubbed his eyes and began his pending paper work.

"Good morning mateys!" exclaimed Deeks as he strolled casually into the bullpen dropping his messenger bag onto his desk. The blond haired, blue eyed detective headed towards the pantry, observing Callen's coffee-less desk. "Would anyone fancy a coffee?" Kensi entered the bullpen shortly after him, shaking her head as she settled into her station. She was wearing her usually attire of jeans and a wide checkered shirt, her sleeves rolled up and her brown hair framing her slim face.

"He's in Captain Jack Sparrow phase this morning. Remind me to never offer him a ride again. Ever."

Sam chuckled, responding with, "Roger that." Kensi smiled at the senior agent, her mismatched eyes warm. Her gaze turned toward her agent-in-charge and took in his fatigued body language. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but saw Sam was shaking his head from the corner of her eye. She nodded, deciding to leave Callen alone and resumed spreading out her paper work. Unfortunately, unlike her, Deeks didn't get the message. He strode back into the bullpen balancing three cups of coffee in his hand, setting one on Kensi's desk, the other on Callen's desk before taking a sip out of the third. Callen didn't look up from his paper work and let out a grunt in lieu of a thank you.

"What's up with you?" Callen looked up to see that Deeks had directed the question to him. "You've come in looking like a zombie ever since we wrapped up the Molina case." Sam was desperately sending abort signals to the detective but the shaggy haired man, leaning against his desk, paid no mind.

"I haven't been sleeping well," Callen responded curtly.

Deeks opened his mouth to continue his interrogation but quickly shut it at the sight of Hetty, their operations manager, approaching the bullpen. Her small frame moved lithely across the open space, an ability that allowed her to sneak up on even her best agents. Callen had even once suggested the addition of a bell to her usual formal attire. She walked past Sam and Kensi, her eyes flashing. Deeks quickly recognized the look on Hetty's face and shifted his weight back onto his feet, moving to sit behind his desk. Hetty marched up to Callen's desk sternly, observing the man in front of her briefly. His short cropped blond hair was longer than usual and his usually sharp blue eyes were glassy. Despite Hetty's commanding presence, the senior agent continued to focus on the reports cluttering the surface of his table.

"Mr. Callen, if you do not start taking care of yourself, I will be forced to declare you unfit for –"

"Fine."

Silence fell over the large open space of the office, the staff and other agents shrunk into the shadows of the large arcs surrounding the workspace. Eric and Nell, who had descended the stairs to gather the team for a new case, stopped in their tracks. The team had expected Callen to indignantly claim that he was fine and that Hetty had no right to remove him from his own team.

"Go home Mr. Callen," Hetty responded firmly, once she had overcome her initially surprise at his reply to her threat.

"I'm perfectly capable of doing paperwork,"

"I fear that you aren't taking me seriously Mr. Callen. You're stressed, isolated and most certainly not sleeping. Perhaps if you allowed me to furnish your home…"

"She's right man. I don't want you watching my back if you can barely stand on your own two feet. When was the last time you had an actual meal?" Sam asked. He had decided to join the conversation in hopes of getting his boss's point across to his stubborn, thick-skulled friend. Callen suddenly had the distinct impression he was being ganged up on. The comment about watching Sam's back definitely stung. He was dizzy, annoyed and his body ached; a lecture was the last thing he needed.

"You want me to go home? Fine, I'm going." Callen threw some of the files into his outbox and rest back into his bag. He packed up his laptop, pulled his bag onto his shoulder and slipped past his boss, who was a foot shorter than him yet looked like thunder itself, past his colleagues' desks and out the door he had entered through only 20 minutes earlier.

Though it was evident that Hetty was unnerved by Callen's departure, she turned on her heel without missing a beat and looked at the rest of her agents expectantly. "Ops, ladies and gentleman, we have a case," she said exasperated. Eric and Nell exchanged looks and quickly began the descent up towards the state-of-the-art operations center on the second floor of the office. Kensi, Deeks and Sam awkwardly got to their feet, following the Wonder Twins up the stairs, glancing back at Hetty and then at each other in an attempt to understand what had just transpired.

The sliding doors pulled apart with the sound of gushing air as the agents walked into the brightly lit room. Eric and Nell had resumed their usual positions at the side of the screen, tablets in hand, and gazes focused on the numerous photos littered across the screen.

"These are Abid Haji and Basit Ghafar. They're Afghani nationals that were found dead this morning on the Santa Monica Pier. Facial recognition picked up on them instantly when LAPD send us the photos," Nell began the briefing.

"That's because these men are on FBI's watch list. They're long suspected members of an Afghani militant terrorist organization that operates out of Los Angeles," Eric continued. "One of them, Haji, had a cell phone on him. The phone itself wasn't a lead; it only bore his fingerprints and was registered under his own name. However, the only calls that came from the phone were to a burn phone."

"Where you able to find out who it belongs to?" Sam asked.

"It was bought with a fake ID and is registered to a bogus name," Eric replied. "But, I was able to trace the number and I have a lock on the phone. It's turned off, but I can turn it on remotely and get you a location."

"Why are we interested in these homicides?" Kensi asked, flipping through the photos on the screen.

"Other than the fact that these men could lead us to the militant group, there has been increased online chatter, according to Mr. Beale, about an explosive device the organization has recently acquired," Hetty added, joining her agents and analysts as they discussed the case. "Ms. Blye, Mr. Deeks I would like you to please make your way to the crime scene. See if LAPD missed anything that may be useful to our investigation." Kensi and Deeks nodded, heading out the door already exchanging ideas about possible scenarios.

"Mr. Hanna, a word." Before he could say anything, Hetty left the Ops Center, making her way to her office. The bulking agent sighed, knowing this conversation was undoubtedly about his partner. Before following her, he sent a quick nod towards the Wonder Twins. They nodded back, taking their seats in front of the computers and began working on getting him a location for the burn phone.

When he reached her office, Hetty was already seated in her chair, sipping quietly on a fresh cup of tea. "Would you like a cup, Mr. Hanna?" she inquired.

Irritated, he shook his head, "We're wasting time talking about Callen, Hetty. I need to be out there tracking down the owner of that burn phone."

"Not without a partner Mr. Hanna,"

"You sent my partner home, remember Hetty?"

"Do not mock me. Go, stop by his house and convince him to understand what I've spent so long trying to make him see. The Molina case is the last straw. He blames himself for what happened and frankly I do too. If he can't take care of himself, then I don't trust him to take care of you." Hetty paused, taking a sip of her tea and allowing Sam to mull over the last sentence. "If he decides to come with you, fine. But if he decides to stay, you have permission to go alone. Be careful Mr. Hanna."

Satisfied with her answer, he nodded curtly and headed across the office space and out the door. He slipped into the driver seat of the Challenger, dialing Eric's number.

"Go for Wolfram," the technical operator replied.

"Send me the coordinates for the location of the burn phone as soon as you've got them."

"Done," Eric responded cheerily before disconnecting the line.

Sam maneuvered the Challenger out of his parking spot and waded through the LA traffic towards Callen's house on the outskirts of the city. A half hour later, he pulled into his usual spot in Callen's driveway. He heard a ding on his phone as Eric forwarded him a set of coordinates. From his peripheral vision he caught the slight movement of the curtains covering the large windows of the living room. Rolling his eyes at his partner's lack of discretion, Sam opened the car door and walked up the driveway and up the porch steps. The door was open before he had a chance to knock. Callen was already headed towards the kitchen.

"Want a beer?"

"It's 11 o'clock in the morning."

"So?"

That was pretty much Sam's breaking point. He stepped forward, towering over the blond man whose back was turned to him, and promptly cuffed him across the back of his head. Callen's body jerked forward at the impact, his hand reaching up to massage his skull.

He whipped around, his face twisted in annoyance. "What the hell was that for?"

"That was for being a selfish son-of-a-bitch,"

"I don't remember much about my mother but I'm sure she wasn't a bitch,"

"Stop joking around man. This is serious. You're not eating, you're not sleeping, _you're not taking care of yourself_." Though Sam's tone was harsh, Callen could sense the worry and the fear behind it. "If you keep going like this, you're going to get yourself killed or maybe even one of us. Is it too hard to get a real bed? Get some actual sleep? Consume something besides pizza and beer?"

"I don't need a bed. And pizza and beer is a perfectly acceptable meal," Callen shot back.

"You're a danger to the team," Sam replied firmly.

"Well, the Molina case proved that didn't it! I'm home, I'm not working and I'll stay away from the team and our cases as long as you want me to. Are you happy?!" Callen yelled, stocking away from his partner childishly, heading back towards the living room where his sparse belongings were spread.

"No, I'm not happy! The Molina case may have been your fault but there's this thing called forgiveness. I forgive you, Kensi and Deeks forgive you. Why can't you forgive yourself and move on with your life?" Sam responded, his voice softening.

"Because Hetty can't." Sam suddenly realized he had no idea how to react to Callen's almost inaudible admission.

"Get in the car."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes you are. We have a location on a burn phone that traces back to two Afghani terrorists found dead on the pier this morning. The terrorist group might be connected to an explosive device."

Callen sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face roughly. He knew there was no arguing with his partner, he was going to pick himself off the ground whether or not he liked it. But right now, the ground seemed like the perfect place to curl up and never face the world again.

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A/N: Review por favor!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Enjoy the next installment!

* * *

Callen's eyes narrowed against the unforgiving LA sun. The coordinates Eric had sent Sam lead them to a café downtown. Both partners were discreetly scanning the perimeter, looking for signs that this could be a trap.

"Its all clear," Sam stated, glancing at Callen. "You okay?"

The weight of the question took Callen by surprise. It had been a long time since someone had actually given a shit about him and so, his partner's concern had always felt unfamiliar. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's find this guy." The partners turned on their in-ear coms and walked into the café, doing their best to remain as casual as possible.

While Sam pretended to observe the numerous cakes and pastry on display, Callen whispered a quick command, "Eric, call the phone." The shrill ringing of a cell phone broke through the calm atmosphere of the café. Both Sam and Callen's heads snapped towards the table in the far corner, where the ringing was originating. Seated at the table was a small tanned woman, only about 5 feet tall. She was dressed in casual yet ethnic Afghani clothing, a _salwar_ and a loose shirt, her hair tightly would in a thick braid that rested on her back. Her ears adorned gold hoops and her wrists were hidden under several bangles. Her face was twisted in a confused expression as she observed the phone in front of her.

Sam exchanged an incredulous look with Callen that said, _'She's our killer?'_

Sam jerked his head towards her and Callen nodded, both approaching her slowly. The woman's attention shifted from the phone to the two men making their way towards her. Panic filled her entire being and Callen saw it fill her face. Before either he or Sam could say anything, she stood sharply and turned on her heel, dashing towards the back entrance of the café. The partners ran after her.

"Federal Agents, stop!" Of course she ignored Sam's cry picking up speed as she waded through the crowd on the busy LA street.

"Why do they always have to run?" Sam panted angrily as they began to gain on the small woman.

"Maybe your hulking figure scares 'em off," Callen commented distractedly, his eyes trained on the shimmering gold of the suspect's jewelry. Seeing her turn the corner, he saw an opportunity to catch up with her. He shifted his weight, banking to his left behind the last building on the street. "I'll cut her off!" he informed his partner, who grunted in response, continuing after the woman and taking the same turn she took.

Callen sprinted up the alley on the other side of the building and as he approached the mouth of the alley, he watched her dash in front of him. With one sharp breath, Callen pushed himself forward, his hand closing around her ankle. She let out a yell as she felt the tug on her foot and found herself falling face first towards the ground. Callen scrambled to his feet, hearing Sam come up behind them.

"What part of Federal Agents do you not understand?" Callen asked he pulled her up roughly, trapping her arms behind her back.

"I don't think she speaks English, G," Sam said.

She glared at Sam who was now standing in front of her. Her eyes narrowed slightly and then suddenly she sharply yanked one of her arms from Callen's grasp, digging her elbow hard into his gut. Callen let out a gasp as the elbow connected with a rib, a distinct crack audible. He fell backwards clutching his torso, watching in amazement as the woman struggled against Sam arms that were attempting to subdue her. She hooked a foot, clad in a delicate silver sandal, behind one of Sam's pulled roughly causing the tall agent to lose his footing. Quickly, before he could recover she delivered a blow to his abdomen. He was heading towards the ground but, despite her unexpected strength, Sam's muscular arms were no match for her tiny frame. They stayed firmly wrapped around her, as they both topple towards the ground.

"Nice try, but you're not going anywhere. You good G?"

Callen winced as he stood, a sharp pain lancing up his side. He swore as he pressed his fingertips against his bruised ribs. "I think she cracked one,"

Sam chuckled, "Feisty aren't ya?" She was still struggling against him, snarling quietly. This time he tried in Pashto, "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you."

She looked up at him, her face suddenly somber, and said with an unmistakable Middle Eastern accent, "I speak English." Both Callen and Sam reeled back at the sound of her voice. It was low, strong and commanding, yet feminine and oddly soft despite the situation. The partners exchanged glances both thinking exactly the same thing: Who was this woman? And how was she connected to the dead men?

* * *

The boatshed was eerily quiet with the exception of the rustling plastic of Callen's icepack. Sam was seated at the table in the middle, both men watching the woman on the screen who was sitting at the edge of the chair in the interrogation room. She was fidgeting with her bangles, her body language tense. They were waiting for Kensi and Deeks to return from the crime scene before beginning the questioning, giving Callen time to ice his cracked rib.

Kensi and Deeks walked in not two minutes later laughing, no doubt at a stupid joke Deeks had just told. Their expressions sobered when they noticed the serious faces of the senior agents. Callen had his shirt pulled up on the injured side revealing scarred skin, an ice pack pressed firmly to his ribcage.

"What happened?" Kensi inquired cautiously taking in Callen's injury and Sam's creased, dirt covered shirt.

"Burner phone lead to this woman. She put up a hell of a fight," Callen responded, grimacing as he readjusted the ice pack. Kensi and Deeks turned their attention away from their colleagues to observe the small woman on the screen.

Kensi snorted. "She's like half your size."

"No kidding, but evidently she's not to be underestimated. She speaks English but won't talk," Sam replied.

"Eric got a hit off of facial recognition though, her name is Aadila Hassan," Callen added.

"Maybe she'll talk to us, let's go Deeks." But her partner did not respond or move.

Deeks felt like his entire body was numb. He couldn't hear his colleagues' voices or the sound of the water that usually resonated through the boatshed. He couldn't see anything but her. He was completely aware that his jaw had gone slack and his mouth was most likely hanging open. She looked very different from the last time he had seen her. It had been almost two years since he had received the notification and yet here she was, in one piece.

"Deeks I know she's pretty but there's no need to gawk," Kensi scoffed.

But Deeks didn't respond, in fact, he barely heard Kensi. He was too busy struggling against the multitude of emotions that were currently flooding his body. He was sad, relieved, disappointed and finally incredibly angry. Deeks snapped up his gapping jaw and his brow furrowed, his breath labored.

"Deeks what is it?" Sam asked urgently, realizing that the detective's reaction was not a result of the woman's beauty.

"Do you know her?" Kensi asked quietly.

"I-she-but she's-I thought-" Deeks couldn't form a comprehensive sentence. Without warning, he turned sharply, taking long quick strides up the hallway and pushing the door to the interrogation room open harshly. The metal of the door clanged as it hit the back wall. Kensi, Sam and Callen hastily turned their heads back to the screen and readied themselves to intervene. They watched in horror and shock as their usually goofy and easy-tempered liaison strode forward, a look of deep distaste filling his face. The small woman jumped out of her seat hurriedly, a similar horrified expression making its way onto her exotic features.

"Marty?" Her voice was so quiet the team barely heard it. There was a moment of silence that spread thickly through the boatshed before Deeks took one last firm step forward, drawing his fist back and promptly driving it through her nose.

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the first chapter! I look forward to more :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: For some reason I've more inspired lately. Enjoy this next part of Alone Together!

* * *

Now that Callen thought about it, she had had more than enough time to duck when Deeks had drawn his fist back but she hadn't moved. She had _let_ him hit her.

Deeks' three team members sprang into action as she stumbled backwards taking the chair she had been sitting on with her, blood flowing freely through her broken nose, staining her shirt. Kensi reached Deeks first, wrapping a firm hand around his bicep and pulling him sharply out of the room. As expected he struggled and so Sam wrapped a hand around the opposite arm. Together they forced him outside, into the LA sunshine.

Meanwhile, Callen, who had grabbed a towel from the pantry on his way to the room, abandoned his ice pack on the table in the interrogation room, and straightened the chair. He held out a hand for the woman. She was flat on her back, one hand coming up to cradle her injured face. She took accepted his hand with her free one allowing him to pull her up and onto the now upright chair.

"I'll be right back," he said, handing her the towel. She accepted it gratefully, refusing to look at him. Wincing, she pressed the towel to her face, attempting to ease the bleeding. He returned only a minute later another ice pack in his hand. He passed it to her and then grabbed his own, hopping up onto the table. They sat in silence for a while, icing their injuries.

"Want to tell me what just happened?"

"I guess there's no hiding it anymore is there," her voice had changed, the accent was gone. Callen sat back in a surprised silence.

"You're not Afghan," he stated obviously.

"No," she responded flatly. Callen mulled over the revelation. Perhaps she was an undercover federal agent, maybe CIA or FBI. Perhaps she had killed the men in self-defense, maybe they had made her. Before he could continue questioning her, she leaned over and touched his arm. "I'm sorry about the ribs. I was hoping to keep my identity intact," she apologized.

He looked down, feeling momentarily lost in her large brown eyes. Her exotic features were hardly symmetrical, but striking nonetheless. She had long dark lashes, and full pink lips. But it wasn't her face that made her so attractive; rather it was stunning way in which she carried herself, despite the clearly broken nose. He smiled and replied, "It's okay."

Kensi, Deeks and Sam returned then, disturbing the moment. Deeks looked significantly calmer, the brash distaste replaced with a quiet anger. The woman jumped out of her seat at their arrival and, to their surprise, broke out in a wide, albeit slightly bloody, grin.

"I can't say I didn't deserve that but you didn't have to break my nose Tintin,"

"Don't call me that," Deeks snarled. "I went to your god damn funeral Reina. Why the hell aren't you in a hole in the ground?"

The woman, whose name was clearly not Aadila but Reina, recoiled. "I'm alive, isn't that the point? It's nice to see you too," she added sarcastically.

"I watched them bury you, you asshole. I wrote your fucking eulogy. You're not allowed to waltz in here and joke about your death. _It tore me apart_," Deeks' callousness had returned. He sighed then, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Guys this is Dr. Reina Khan, she's CIA. Reina these are NCIS agents from the Office of Special Projects. Agent Kensi Blye, Agent Sam Hannah and Agent Callen," he introduced, pointing each member of the team out.

"It's nice to meet you all," Reina responded quietly.

"How did you get that burner phone? And how are you connected to Abid Haji and Basit Ghafar?" Kensi asked curiously, pushing the idea that Deeks may have been personally involved with this woman out of her head. But as hard as she tried, Kensi couldn't dismiss the thought. He _must _have been involved with Reina. She'd never seen him so worked up about anything before.

Reina opened her mouth but then shut it, pausing briefly to reconsider her next sentence. "I'd like get cleaned up and set my nose before I tell you, if you don't mind," she offered a few seconds later, her gaze fixed to the floor.

Callen nodded briskly, robbing Deeks of the chance to argue. "Kensi show Dr. Khan to the washroom, see if you can find her some clean clothes."

"I still have your old go-bag in the trunk of my car," Deeks suddenly admitted to Reina softly, his anger seemed to have evaporated as fast as it had arrived. Kensi's eyes flashed between the two. Reina's brown eyes snapped up meeting Deeks' ocean blue ones.

"You-you what?"

Deeks chuckled, "I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it."

The soft grin returned to her face at his words. She followed behind Kensi, who swiftly left the room, a strange expression of annoyance on her face. As Reina walked by Deeks, she leaned forward, slipped her hand into his and squeezed briefly. "It really is good to see you again." It was almost too much for Deeks, seeing her alive and well in front of him, hearing her voice and feeling her hand in his. His eyes stung, and blinked his tears back furiously, turning quickly so Sam and Callen wouldn't see.

* * *

He returned to the boat shed with her bag, just as Kensi and Reina returned. Reina's face was now blood free, the swelling in her nose diminishing as a result of the ice pack and her efforts to set it straight. Reina gratefully accepted the small duffel from him and headed back towards the washroom she had just emerged from.

The team settled themselves down in the chairs surrounding the table in the main area. Deeks took a seat last, feeling all eyes on him.

"Who is she?" Kensi asked with a hint of indignation in her voice.

"I told you, she's CIA."

"No I mean, who is she to you?"

"Marty and I met in college," Reina's voice filled the room as she reentered the room. Her long brown hair was no longer in the conservative braid, it was now flowing freely down her back in waves. She was no longer wearing the stained shirt and _salwar_ but instead a pair of jeans and light pale blue cotton shirt, her sleeves rolled up. The flashy jewelry was gone, her wrists and ears were bare but a thin silver chain rested delicately across her collar bones, a slim simple band strung through in lieu of a pendant.

Deeks was staring at the ring, and Reina hand subconsciously reached up to grasp it.

"You kept it," he whispered.

"Of course I did silly. I couldn't always wear it but I always had it on me. You?"

Instead of responding, he pulled out his badge from his back pocket, opening the flap, wiggling his fingers behind his ID card and pulling out an identical but slightly bigger ring. "I don't always wear it," he said, echoing her words, "but I've always got it on me."

"You-you two are married?" Kensi interrupted, her voice breaking slightly.

Deeks and Reina looked at Kensi and then at each other before they both broke out into loud laughter. Deeks doubled over in his chair, grasping his side, tears beginning to pool in the corner of his eyes. Across the room, Reina was bent over, her hands resting on her knees in an attempt to get her mirth under control.

"Married…to Tintin…" she gasped in between giggles, "…he's like my little brother."

Deeks let out another loud laugh, "And she's like my annoying sister."

She pulled her face a scowl, failing as the corners of her mouth rose. "Ouch that stung. But alas it's the truth," she said dramatically joining the team on the table. She resumed icing her nose, her face red from the laughter and the ice. "Fact is, you'd drive me insane."

"Only after you drove _me_ insane first!" His sudden use of the past tense rather than the conditional intrigued the agents.

"That operation was doomed to fail from the beginning and it wasn't on you or me," she replied airily.

He grinned in agreement and then turned to Kensi, holding his ring in the palm of his hand. "We did an undercover operation as a married couple once. Needless to say, it did _not_ end well. These are just friendship rings. It sounds silly but Reina was shipping off to Afghanistan and I was going undercover investigating Emilio Ortega. We decided to exchange something to keep us connected when we were thousands of miles apart."

"Tintin and I met when he was in law school at UCLA. I was writing my doctorate thesis at the time and we ran into each other at a party. We-"

"Stayed close throughout college and after we graduated," Deeks cut in.

Understanding that he wanted to keep their personal life out of this conversation, Reina continued, "I was working as a geneticist in the CIA's Science and Technology department but I'm also a licensed paramedic who occasionally works with the UN in the Middle East on humanitarian efforts. The US Navy requested my services, asked me to accompany a Navy Seal team on a special operation in Afghanistan. When I agreed, I was trained briefly before being put on a plane headed east." Deeks nodded, following her explanation, eager to hear the next part, the part that he was still in the dark about. "The Navy Seal team was gathering intel on a terrorist cell acting out of a small village in the middle of nowhere. I was tasked with coming into the village as a medical aid worker from the capital. I'm South Asian and I speak Pashto, so I definitely looked the part. I got involved into the cell by accident, the Afghan militants thought I would make a good addition to their group; I would help them look more legit. The-the Seals I was working with convinced me to stay. I could help them get the intel they came for. I began sneaking out at night, going to the Seal's campsite on the outskirts of the village, in order to relay information."

Reina paused, swallowing tightly. Deeks could sense her hesitation to continue. He leaned across the table, pulling her free hand into both of his own. "It's okay," he said quietly, "You can trust us."

"One night, my disappearance was noticed by one of the militants. In order to keep my cover intact, the Seals pretended they had captured me. The hope was that I wouldn't be important enough and the Afghans would simply let the Seals 'have' me. But things," she swallowed again, "things went horrendously wrong. The militants decided to line the campsite with explosives. They raided the campsite and 'rescued' me. They blew the place to bits. No one survived."

The boatshed was once again covered by the thick tense silence.

"When a team of Marines were finally dispatched, there were no remains to identify any of the Seals with. So they used DNA instead."

"Your DNA was found too," Deeks stated, realization filling his eyes.

"They figured I was blown up too. But I was still undercover with in the terrorist cell," she responded bitterly, her expression dark. "I was actually able to get a distress signal to CIA y'know but they decided to leave me in there. Said I was useful. They backstopped me, seeing my supposed death as an opportunity."

Deeks felt sick to his stomach and stared at his friend sadly. She stared back at him, her expression still dark. "I'm sorry Tintin,"

"For what? I just broke your nose, I should be the one apologizing," he responded incredulously.

"For making you think I was dead. For putting you through that," she shot back, ignoring his guilt. The agents exchanged glanced. To them, it seemed as though she wasn't the least bothered by his unnecessary punch. It seemed that their friendship was strong enough to dismiss the injury without a moment's thought.

"I've done worse to him you know," she addressed the others suddenly as though she had read their minds.

"None of it was your fault," Deeks answered, returning to the subject of her apology. "How'd you end up in LA?" he asked after a minute.

"I followed the group to Los Angeles about a week ago. They're going to sell a bomb they recently acquired to local buyer. When I found out about the bomb, I begged the CIA to bust them. But my handler refused. They want the buyer. I was supposed to be meeting the head militant, Anwar Hussain, in the café you found me in. I-I got involved with Anwar in an attempt to gain his trust. He-he left his phone in my hotel room last night. I guess he asked for the meeting to get his phone back. Anwar told me last night that suspected federal involvement in the group. He thought Abid and Basit were traitors."

She took a shaky breath. "I can't believe he killed them."

"Do you think you've been made?" Callen asked.

"No," she replied firmly, looking up at the senior agent-in-charge, her brown eyes determined.

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So I had a lot of reviews that were super on point about how, given Deeks' past, he would never hit a woman like that. You guys are so right, it never occurred to me. But then again, how pissed would you be if someone you cared about let you believe they were dead and then walked back into your life joking about it? I'd be furious. In any case, I decided to address Deeks' guilt a bit in this chapter, but after that I'm putting it behind me and continuing with the story :)

Also another quick note. This story is in a total AU timeline, especially regarding Kensi and Deeks' thing, but I will bring in a few references/plotlines from my favorite episodes. Thanks for your reviews and enjoy!

* * *

The next few hours were very administrative. Hetty was placing calls, calling in old favors in an attempt to get the CIA to hand NCIS the case. Once they agreed, the team and Reina met briefly with her handler, allowing the agents to catch up on the details of the case and get familiar with the different players in the militant organization.

After wishing Reina good luck, her handler left the boatshed. Kensi, Deeks, Sam and Callen began to discuss possible next steps. Reina, suddenly overcome by exhaustion, lowered herself onto the couch. Deeks glanced to his side in time to witness her cautious fingers as they examined the extent of the injury to her face. He excused himself from the conversation and dropped down onto the couch beside her. She sent him a quick smile and resumed pressing the now watery ice pack to her face.

"I shouldn't have hit you," Deeks suddenly said, breaking the comfortable silence that had encompassed the two old friends. As usual she raised her hand, waving it off. "No you don't get to do that,"

"Do what?" she responded, a look of genuine confusion crossing her face.

"Pretend like everything's okay," he sighed sadly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, lightly burying his face in his hands.

"Everything's not okay Tintin! You thought I was dead, for almost two years. If we were on opposite sides of this situation, I would have done a lot worse than punch you,"

"I overreacted," Deeks replied stubbornly, his face gaunt.

"No, you didn't. This conversation is over," Reina responded impatiently. He smiled then, looking up at her from his position, his blue eyes twinkling. She leaned toward him abruptly throwing her arms around his neck. He sat up surprised but closed his eyes, and slid one of his own arms around her back, the other coming up to cradle her head against his shoulder lightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I spent the last two years trying to figure out how to move on. I realized there was no way I could. And now I don't have to," he confessed softly.

"I love you little brother," she said, tightening her arms around him.

"I love you too Rei," Deeks replied, his voice thick with emotion. It was strange to him. It had been a long time since someone had openly expressed their affection for him and he welcomed the overwhelming sensation of happiness.

Meanwhile, Kensi was watching the two closely, missing most of her discussion with Sam and Callen.

"Kensi?" Callen piercing voice broke through her stupor. "Are you still with us?"

"Yeah sorry, I was just…"

"He's a big boy, he can take care of himself,"

"I've never seen him so angry before. I've also never seen him hit an unarmed woman before. I mean I would think with his past-,"

"He wouldn't," Sam interrupted, "under usual circumstances. But there's so much we don't understand about whatever there is between him and Reina,"

Callen cocked his head to the side joining Sam and Kensi in observing the embracing friends. "I don't really think he was going to do it. But she_ let_ him hit her; she didn't move or duck even though he gave her time to do so. I think she blames herself for whatever bad blood there was between them, and I think he does too. He just snapped," Callen guessed.

"Wow, thanks Dr. Callen," Sam teased. "Thankfully, it looks like the bad blood's long passed. Hopefully we can get this case back on track without pulling their personal shit back into it."

"Yeah," Kensi replied lamely, still fighting the protective nature she felt towards her partner.

They watched as Deeks pulled Reina onto her feet. They walk over to the three agents, the guilt and sadness on their faces seemed to have faded slightly. "So what's next?" Deeks asked, referring to the case at hand.

"I go back in," Reina replied, matter-of-factly.

Callen nodded handing her the burn phone. "Eric made a copy of it, we'll try and extract whatever we can out of it. Meanwhile, spin a story about why you missed lunch with Anwar. Regain his trust and try to find out about the date of the transaction. Maybe he'll even reveal the identity of the buyer"

"I'll do my best."

"Be careful," Deeks said, his eyes meeting hers. She stared back unabashedly. They seemed to be having a nonverbal conversation for a few beats before she tore her eyes away.

"I need a ride back to the hotel," she said. Deeks nodded, but he couldn't even take a step towards the door before Callen spoke.

"No. Deeks I want you to stay here. Help Kensi and the Wonder Twins. Sam and I will take Dr. Khan and keep over watch," he countered, actively assuming the role of the leader for the first time since the Molina case. Sam smiled; maybe his partner was finally climbing out from the deep hole he had dug for himself.

* * *

Reina, dressed in her ethnic attire once again, knocked cautiously on the hotel room door. She played nervously with her bangles as she waited for an answer. Suddenly the door flew open and she blinked rapidly against the bright sunlight streaming in from the windows covering the far wall.

"Where have you been?" The loud voice was coming from the tall burly man who had opened the door. He had dark eyes, that Reina often thought resembled the color of coal, a strong jaw, and a head of thick black hair. His skin was the same color as hers. If he hadn't been so frightening, and…well a criminal, he might have even been a dark kind of handsome.

"I am sorry Anwar," her Middle Eastern accent finding its way back into her low voice, "I was-" Reina saw the back of his hand fly towards her face before she felt the sharp sting.

"I do not care for your excuses," he sneered. "Where is my phone?"

She gritted her teeth, picking herself off the floor. She let herself into the room and began digging her hand through her purse to retrieve the phone. She handed it to him warily.

"I have done much to ensure your safety Aadila. Do not wander off again."

"Yes Anwar," she replied, making her voice as small as possible.

"Now come, we have much work to do,"

Nearby, Callen and Sam sat in silence in the Challenger, listening to the exchange through the in-ear com they had given Reina. Callen clenched his fist, exhaling angrily. He wondered what she had had to endure during her time with the militant group. For a moment he felt white hot fury towards the CIA for leaving her undercover when they should most definitely have pulled her out.

Sam, sensing his discomfort, turned to his partner muttering quietly, knowing Reina could hear them, "She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She's fine,"

Across town, Deeks and Kensi were pulling up to the LAPD headquarters. Eric had identified a frequently called number on Anwar Hussain's phone, and found that it was registered to a Juan Torres.

"Torres has been involved in Mexican drug cartels since he was in diapers. He was last known working with Pedro Chaves, a Colombian drug lord that came through Mexico into LA a few years ago," Nell had explained. With no further intel on the possible buyers, Kensi and Deeks had decided to take a field trip to the LAPD to retrieve anything useful.

Kensi killed the engine glancing over to the passenger side of the car to find her partner eyeing the LAPD building cagily.

"Have you ever thought about quitting?"

"And joining NCIS?" She nodded.

"Every single day."

His swift response caught her by surprise. She recovered quickly. "You should seriously consider it. I'd back you 100%."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He smiled at her. It was one of his happy, full force grins because it lit up his tanned handsome face. His ocean blue eyes sparkled, the skin under his temples creasing with the force of the smile. She felt her breath catch and strange sensation swoop through her stomach. He turned his back, opening the car door and step outside. As he did so, his shirt lifted slightly revealing a sliver of tanned skin just above the waist of jeans. Kensi found herself wondering what his skin would feel like under her fingertips.

Wait what? Kensi physically recoiled at her last though. Then she let out a laugh. She was _not _attracted to Marty Deeks. She couldn't be.

"What's so funny Kensalina?" he asked as she joined him outside.

"Nothing,"

"Sure," he replied, a lopsided grin settling on his face. "You were checking out my ass when I got out of the car."

"No I wasn't!" Kensi cringed at how quickly and unnaturally the response had left her mouth.

"Mmhm," Deek chuckled.

"Deeks, can I ask you something?" Kensi asked, changing the subject as they walked towards the headquarters.

"Anything," he responded lightly.

"Why does Reina call you Tintin?"

He let out a short laugh. "It comes from Martin I guess. Reina and I were hanging out at the beach with a few friends, a year after we met. We'd had a few drinks, mind you, and my hair was in a quiff from the water. Someone commented on how I looked like Tintin. And then later when became a detective and got Monty, it just stuck," he finished, chortling.

Kensi smiled at the anecdote.

They entered the building, flashing their badges and entered the lift lobby, waiting for an elevator to take them to the floor where Bates and most of his fellow detectives held offices.

"Well, well. Look who we have here. How's it going Mr. Wannabe Fed?" Kensi turned to see a short potbellied man with a rather ferocious look mustache approaching them.

"Officer Morgan," Deeks said stiffly, "Always a pleasure."

The three entered the elevator that had just opened. Deeks leaned over and pressed the button for appropriate floor.

"And who's this darling?" Kensi could feel her nose shriveling up in disgust at the suggestive expression on Office Morgan's face.

"I'm Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS," she responded, just as stiffly as Deeks had done.

"Oof, sounds like toughie. She like this in bed Deeks?"

Deeks inhaled sharply, his eyes flashed angrily but he didn't move. He glanced at his partner. Kensi's nostrils flared as she took a menacing step towards the man. "What the hell are you suggesting?"

Officer Morgan stepped back, suddenly nervous.

Deeks relaxed and chuckled awkwardly, placing a warning hand on his partner's shoulder. "Trust me, you don't want to get on her nerves. She's a badass," Kensi smirked then, her demeanor changing.

The elevator dinged then and the partner made a quick exit.

"Thanks for that," Kensi responded.

"For what? You didn't need me to defend you,"

"Precisely," she responded, and he understood.

Deeks led them to a cubicle at the far end of the floor. He rapped softly on the panel, leaning casually against the frame. A tall, African American man jumped up from his seat, grinning widely.

"Marty Deeks! How ya doing man?" he asked good-naturedly, shaking Deeks hand.

"Good and you?"

"Can't complain. This must be Agent Blye," he commented turning to shake her hand.

"Kensi this is Detective Derek Holden. He's one of the decent guys on the force."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Kensi took a liking to the handsome, cheery man almost instantly.

"How can I help you folks?"

"Derek, what do you know about Juan Torres, and Pedro Chaves?"

Holden took a seat, clicking a few keys on his keyboard and then turned the monitor towards them.

"They've got rap sheets like my wife's weekly grocery lists, long and expensive," Deeks chuckled at his friend's metaphor, "They've been involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, arms smuggling, numerous B&Es, and they're even suspected to be involved in human trafficking and homicide."

"Can we get copies of those?"

"Sure thing. Their cartel recently had a shipment of guns intercepted at the border by border patrol and LAPD. We caught the driver and few of the cartel members but Chaves and Torres are still at large."

Kensi and Deeks exchanged glances. "How pissed were they?"

Holden laughed, "Furious, a lot of the officers involved with the case were sent death threats, lots of attempted bombings at different stations around town, but never the headquarters. It only lasted for like a week, nothing serious. Is there something I should know about?" suddenly eyeing the two suspiciously.

"We've got nothing concrete man, but as soon as we do, you'll be the first to know," Deeks assured him.

"Appreciated man," Holden nodded and then excused himself to get them a copy of the files.

"Damn it, you don't think they attempt to bomb the headquarters do you?" Deeks asked Kensi once Holden was gone.

"They'd never be able to get anything in here, security's too tight." Deeks nodded, realizing she was right. "But I have a weird feeling that purchasing the bomb definitely has something to do with LAPD." When Holden return and they thanked him before turning back towards the elevator from where they came.

"Deeks!" The shaggy haired detective turned around to see his friend jogging to catch up with them.

"Did we forget something?"

"Nah, just wanted to ask if you're coming to the Award Ceremony on Friday?"

Deeks scoffed, "As if Bates would want me there,"

"If Bates had it his way, there wouldn't be a ceremony at all. Just think about it, getting dressed up and having a few drinks might not be so bad. Besides, we're all going out after and you're always welcome. You should bring Agent Blye!"

Deeks chuckled, "Thanks man, I'll let you know." Holden grinned and bade Kensi farewell again before heading back to his station. When they were in the elevator again, heading down this time, Deeks shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Would you want to go with me?"

"To the LAPD ceremony?"

"Uh, yeah," Deeks replied, his eyes training to the floor. He prepared himself for the rejection and possibly a punch to the arm. The punch came but not the rejection.

"The LAPD ceremony!"

"Yes Kensi, the LAPD ceremony, do you want to go?" Deeks said annoyed, rubbing his arm.

"No-I mean yes-Deeks that's the target!" Kensi spluttered.

His jaw dropped, "Holy shit."

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A/N: What do ya'll think?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: There's some Pashto in this chapter so here's the translations:

Sahr pikheyr = Good morning

Zeh mutaasif yum = Sorry

Also, I forgot that considering Reina has a doctorate, her title is Dr. and it's not mention in any of the earlier chapters. There was also some vague language concerning the seller/buyer in the previous chapters. So I made some adjustments. Feel free to check it out! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

When Reina awoke, she was laying in the middle of the large king bed that sat in the master bedroom of the hotel suite. She was naked, the sheets wrapped tightly around her, and she winced as she shifted her sore hips. After their reunion, Anwar had checked her out from her own room and moved her into his. She didn't dare argue and told with herself that it would be easier to extract information this way. Reina had hoped he would talk to her in the morning but as she glanced around she realized he was gone. She pulled herself out of bed, slipping into some clean clothes and surveyed the room. Most of his stuff was still scattered around the room, indicating his absence was temporary.

She heard a crackle in her ear as the in-ear coms spurred to life.

"Are you okay?" Callen's voice was quiet, almost inaudible.

"I'll be fine," she responded just as lowly. "Have you and Sam been surveilling the whole time?"

The question was most certainly not about surveillance. She was incredibly embarrassed when she realized that Callen and Sam may have had to listen to her and Anwar. Callen picked up on the waver in voice almost immediately and he could feel the blush on his neck and ears. Clearing his throat he responded softly, "When Anwar left, Sam and I split up. Sam's been tailing Anwar; he went to go meet up with the other militants at a warehouse downtown. I've-I've been here, but I turned off my coms when-uh-"

"I appreciate it."

"Of course."

He was silent then, allowing Reina to rummage through Anwar's suitcase. She stopped short when her hands settled on a folder buried deep beneath his clothing. She opened it, observing the figures and skimming the text.

"I've got papers detailing specifications of the bomb,"

"Excellent, take pictures. I'll let Eric know they're headed his way."

She grabbed her phone, snapping pictures of each page, and sending them through a secure server to the Ops Center.

"Done."

"Good work. Listen, Nell identified a possible buyer and Kensi and Deeks think they have a target. We need to figure out when the exchange is happening and confirm the intel."

"What's the target?"

"The LAPD ceremony on Friday night. Anwar's phone lead to a man named Pedro Chaves-"

"I've heard Anwar talk about him!" Reina exclaimed, her mind struggling to place the familiar name.

"He's a Colombian drug lord who recently had a shipment of arms confiscated at the border by LAPD. Several of his cartel members were arrested and few were killed in a shootout. We think its revenge for the losses he endured at the hands of the LAPD."

"Okay so we have exactly a week. The exchange has to be sometime between now and next Friday," Reina commented, thinking aloud.

Suddenly Callen's tone changed, "I just got a message from Sam, Anwar's on his way back."

Quickly Reina stuffed the folder back in the depths of his suitcase. She pulled her hair into a braid, putting on her jewelry. When she was done, Reina wandered towards the pantry, making a cup of tea. "Thanks for having my back," she whispered.

Callen exhaled loudly, wishing there was some further way to help her. "Of course," he replied lamely. Fifteen minutes later, Anwar unlocked the door to the suite finding his lover absentmindedly stirring sugar into her cup of tea.

"Sahr pikheyr Aadila," he greeted her good naturedly.

She smiled mechanically. "Sahr pikheyr Anwar. Tea?"

"Thank you my dear." She could feel his strong arms wrapping tightly around her waist, his lips meeting the back of her neck.

"I woke up alone this morning," she purred, turning his arms, allowing him to kiss her. She could hear Callen shift uncomfortable in her ear.

"I had a meeting with Abdul, Sajed, Parviz and Jahed," Anwar responded, he seemed to be brimming with excitement.

"How did it go?" she asked casually, handing him her cup and turning around to make herself a fresh cup.

He took a gulp and his face contorted in disgust. "This is terrible. Learn how to make some proper tea!" he barked, hurling the cup at her. She moved quickly, cringing as the cup shattered by her ear against a cupboard. "Reina…" Callen muttered uneasily.

She ignored him and mopped up the mess before quickly setting to work perfecting her next cup. "Zeh mutaasif yum, this cup will be better I promise," He sipped the new cup, nodding in approval and strode into their bedroom. She hurried after him.

"We have agreed upon a meeting place and time with the buyer. You will come with us."

She nodded. "I'm happy you were able to find a buyer."

He smirked, "Chaves has good intentions. He claims he will use the bomb to purge our world of a room filled with Los Angeles policemen."

Reina mirrored his smirk, "This pleases you obviously."

"Of course it pleases me," Anwar responded hungrily, "Our services could not have been put to better use. Think of what people will say, what publicity we will receive!"

She leaned up and ran a hand through his hair, smiling. "I am overjoyed to see you this happy. When are we going to meet Chaves?"

"On Monday. At the lot behind the pier."

"Out in the open?" she responded cautiously.

"It will be quick, you needn't worry." And with that, he pulled away from her, disappearing into the bathroom. She picked up her cup and his, busying herself at the pantry. She glanced towards the bedroom, deciding that it was safe. Her fingers lightly touch the in-ear com, ensuring that it was on before whispering, "Did you guys get that?"

"Loud and clear. Get yourself out," Callen replied curtly.

"Actually, Dr. Khan, may I request that you stay in until the exchange? We must ensure that it goes according to plan, we need someone on the inside." It was not Hetty's voice that stunned Callen, he was rather accustomed to her sneaky intrusions, but rather the weight of her request.

There was a pause before Reina responded, "I can do that Ms. Lange but after Monday, I'm out."

"That is all I ask,"

* * *

Callen watched his team as they gathered around a table in the armory. Kensi was packing the parts of a sniper into a case while Sam and Deeks were loading and double-checking their weapons. He cleared his throat.

"Okay, so Hussain and Chaves have made this difficult. They've chosen a wide open space in public, there's not a lot of cover for us but luckily, the same applies for them. Kensi, I want you station on the roof of high-rise on the east. It's the closest building and you'll have a clear range. According to Reina-uh Dr. Khan, they're planning on closing off the lot with the cover of construction. Deeks you'll have Dr. Khan's back, I want you positioned in boat off of the pier, stay low and hidden until you're needed. Sam and I'll approach from back street. We'll move when Dr. Khan's clear, take out anyone you need to but I want Chaves and Hussain alive if possible.

The team nodded, taking in his instructions. Deeks grinned slightly at his leader's casual use of Reina's first name and his hastiness in covering it up. Callen had taken it upon himself to keep over watch on Reina over the weekend and it seemed, when she was out of Anwar's range, that they had been chatting through the coms.

When they arrived at the empty lot, there was nothing but silence. They knew the lot was being watched, so Sam and Callen stayed hidden in the Challenger parked down the street. Kensi had split up with Deeks earlier and was already setting up on the roof of the high-rise. She unpacked the sniper, and put it together, surveying the scene. As per the naked eye, there was nothing unordinary about the lot. The tide splashed against the wooden frames of the pier, sending the soothing sound of the waves across the wide space. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the storm ahead. Clearing away the space in front of her, she dropped to her stomach, her dominant eye firmly attached to the eye piece of the sniper that was resting on the edge of the roof. And then she waited.

Meanwhile, Deeks, clad in his wetsuit slipped off the side of a small blue and white stripped boat docked on the opposite end of the pier from the lot. The boat, Hetty's boat to be precise, had docked in the pier only an hour earlier carrying the shaggy haired detective. Quickly stripping down, he pulled on his wetsuit and Kevlar vest. He deftly attached a waterproof sack, containing his gun, badge, his in-ear coms and extra ammunition, to his waist. When he was ready, the detective entered the water, swimming quickly and strongly, staying under the surface as much as possible. He reached the second boat they had placed on the pier the day before. It had a perfect view of the lot. Deeks clambered onto the deck of the boat, making his way lithely towards the front where there was a large piece of tarp spread out. Yanking it up, he slid under the large blue plastic material covering the surface of the front deck.

Kensi watched her partner slither out of view, and said lowly into her coms, "Deeks is in position, waiting for him to get online."

"Copy that," she heard her leader mutter.

A minute later they heard a crackle in their ears. "I'm online and armed," Deeks' firm voice came through the coms.

"Great. Hetty, we're standing by in our positions. Do you copy?"

"I copy Mr. Callen. Let's makes this clean."

The team sent in their acknowledgements and then fell silent, waiting.

Approximately 15 minutes later, their coms crackled again and loud unmistakable Pashto filled their ears. Reina had activated her coms and joined their connection. Sam listened intently to the Pashto conversation and then finally stated, "They're about five minutes out."

"Everyone ready?" Callen asked his team. Sam nodded beside him, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. He waited briefly for Kensi and Deeks' confirmations before exiting the Challenger and heading quickly in the opposite direction of the lot, curving around the block and popping up on the narrow street on the other side of the lot. He found the dumpster they had identified earlier and sunk down low beside it. Sam watched carefully as a large black SUV followed closely by a large storage truck drove past his position and pulled into the lot.

After ensuring that no one else was following them, Sam left the Challenger as well. He snuck up the street, moving surprising nimbly and silently for a man his size. He settled himself on the corner of the street and peered around the edge of the building he was leaning against. "Dr. Khan and the Afghans just arrived with the explosive,"

"Roger that," Callen responded as the convoy appeared in his line of vision. "We wait for Chaves and the move." The team watched as Anwar, Reina and three members of the group exited the SUV. The fourth remaining militant was in the driver seat of the truck, his shoulders tense, eyes darting to survey the area.

Deek's eyes were trained to the back of Reina's head. He watched his friend closely as she clung quietly to Anwar's side. The group waited, looking rather odd in the middle of the empty lot. 10 minutes ticked by and then 20 and the burly leader of the group looked towards the street warily.

"Are we missing something?" Sam hissed. "I don't see Chaves."

"Kensi?" Callen whispered.

"Negative. No Chaves in sight."

"Deeks?"

"Negative."

Suddenly, Reina's accented voice lightly filled their ears. "Anwar, they are late."

"I can see that," came the response, thick and loud.

For another minute, there was nothing but silence. And then all hell broke loose. The engine of the truck spurred to life, and the Afghan behind the wheel pulled out a gun reaching out of the window and pulling the trigger. The bullet hit one of the militants in the shoulder, and he fell to the ground almost immediately. Stunned, the other militants rushed to help their fallen man. The truck peeled out of the lot and instinctively Anwar pulled away from Reina, jumping into the front seat of the SUV.

"Kensi, the SUV, Hussain can't get away. Sam, the truck! Deeks, eyes on Dr. Khan," Callen's command came from the coms. Sam grunted, turning on his heal and dashing towards his car.

"Eric, Nell help me out. Don't lose him."

Meanwhile, Kensi had taken out the tires, effectively rendering the SUV useless. Hearing the shots and finding that his car was not responding, Anwar threw open the door furiously, pulling out a gun. Deeks' body tensed, ready to jump out of his hiding place beneath the tarp.

"IT WAS YOU!" Anwar roared, his gun now trained on Reina's head. The militants, recovering from the shock, followed suit, their guns also trained on Reina. The injured militant, Parviz, was already back on his feet, clutching his shoulder.

"What-what are you talking about Anwar?" Reina cried, her voice wavering expertly. "It was Abdul, he betrayed us!"

"Your affections were never real! You played me!"

"I've got a clear shot on Jahed," Kensi's voice came through the coms.

Callen responded quickly, "I've got Sajed. Deeks can you get Parviz?"

Deeks hesitantly moved his aim from the burly leader to the smaller man, finding he had a perfect angle. "Affirmative."

"Reina, you've got about a two second window."

Callen watched her head move so slightly that had he not been staring intently at her, he would have missed it. He gritted his teeth, praying this would work and then muttered, "3…2…1"

Three shots rang out and the militants crumbled, Anwar's eyes shifted, watching in horror as his friends sunk to the floor. Angrily, he moved his gaze back towards his lover. But she had already moved, crouching low. He let out a short gasp as one of her hand wrapped firmly around his wrist, the other around the barrel of his gun, ripping the weapon from his grasp. Her elbow came towards his face with a blinding speed and he felt the darkness close around him.

* * *

A/N: As always, review por fa!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hope you're all enjoying reading this, as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

* * *

Hetty watched as Granger paced back and forth in the small space of her office. She observed his rigid body language, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Finally she reached below her desk pulling out a dusty bottle of her favorite single-malt. She poured out generous amounts into two glasses and pushed one across the surface of her desk.

"Sit Owen." Granger obliged, pulling the glass towards himself.

"This is a disaster Henrietta. We can't have an active explosive casually wandering around LA."

"My agents have identified the target remember? I have full faith that they will be able to detain the responsible parties and retrieve the explosive before it is too late."

Granger inhaled and exhaled slowly. He took a swig from his whiskey before muttering lowly, "I hope your faith doesn't fail you."

"It never has before."

* * *

When Sam returned to Mission, he found his team mates, Reina and the Wonder Twins sitting around the bull pen. On screen was a visual of a warehouse. Outside the building, Chaves, Torres and a few men were deep in discussion. One of the men was clearly Abdul, the militant that had betrayed Anwar, his dark skin and heavy build, a stark contrast to the light skinned, tattooed cartel members.

"That's where the truck ended up?"

"Yeah, we picked it up on traffic cams after you lost it," Nell replied.

Sam mumbled a quick apology which Callen quickly shrugged off. "I sent you out without backup. I'm just glad you weren't seen. Point is, we've got eyes on the warehouse." The partners shared a quick understanding nod before turning back towards the others.

"Doesn't matter," Eric said glumly. Sam looked at him questioningly. "The bomb was transported elsewhere the moment it reached the warehouse. We couldn't track it. We have eyes on the warehouse and Chaves but not the bomb itself."

"Granger's got his panties in a twist," Kensi added motioning at Hetty's desk where their Operations Manager was pouring a second drink for the Assistant Director.

"The target's clear. He shouldn't be worried," Callen added crossly.

"I'm going to assume Granger is-" Reina began, tilting her head to observe the tall, balding, tense man seated in Hetty's office.

"The Assistant Director of NCIS, more commonly known as Mr. Pain-In-The-Ass," Sam interrupted, cracking a smile and inciting chuckles around the bullpen.

Kensi's face however remained stoic. "He's an outsider and we don't care too much for those," she added bluntly, her eyes catching Reina's sharply. Deeks looked warily between the two women.

"Ah, I see," Reina said softly, breaking the eye contact. Before anyone could comment further on Granger's misgivings, the man himself wandered over to the bullpen, followed closely by Hetty.

"Do you have a plan Agent Callen?" Granger's voice was just as callous as ever.

"The target is the LAPD ceremony. That's where the bomb's going to be. We have to be there undercover. If we go in guns blazing, they might get spooked or worse set it off early."

"I thought you might say that Mr. Callen," Hetty said, a slight smirk teasing the edges of her lips. "I'll start choosing outfits."

The team spent the next few days gathering further intel on the cartel, training for possible scenarios, and becoming well versed in the layout of the hotel where the award ceremony was set to take place. To Kensi's dismay, Hetty had insisted that Reina join the operation. This was after all, her case. Despite the gravity of the situation, Deeks had never been in a better mood. It seemed, to Kensi, that despite the distance between her partner and Reina over the past two years, their relationship had barely suffered. They were joking, bonding, sharing meals and training together. Kensi told herself she was being stupid, after all, Deeks had just been reunited with one of his closest friends. It was natural for him to happy, yet she couldn't feel the same. What she felt…well it was jealousy but there was no way Badass Blye was going to admit that.

When Friday rolled around, Hetty handed Kensi and Sam uniforms, Deeks, a sleek blue suit, Callen, a handsome grey suit and Reina a stunning, flowing strapless blood red dress and a pair of black pumps.

"Mr. Hanna, you'll be going in as a hotel security guard, Ms. Blye, you'll be server. Mr. Callen, Mr. Deeks, Dr. Khan, you'll be going in as guests. Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones have made arrangements and registered you as staff members and guests respectively.

Kensi's brow furrowed, why was Deeks getting to go as a guest? And more importantly why was he getting to go with Reina?

"It's important that Mr. Deeks go as a guest, he'll be recognized of course. And Dr. Khan, in the event that Abdul is in the building, I would rather you go as a guest and thus be able to stand in one spot rather than risking the possibility that he may see you," Hetty continued firmly, watching Kensi's expression intently. Kensi's brow straightened almost immediately, a feeling of embarrassment making its way up her gut.

"Are we clear?" Murmurs of acknowledgement filled the space, Kensi hastily followed suit, walking forward to retrieve her outfit from Hetty. She could feel the little minx's eyes burning into her back but she refused look back. Instead she held her head high and entered the dressing area. When she emerged wearing the pencil skirt, white shirt and grey vest, Deeks was waiting for her. He looked impeccable in the suit; the blue brought out his eyes and drew attention to his silky blond locks. He had cleaned up his messy scruff and looked quite dashing. His head was bowed, his feet shifting in the black dress shoes, hands shoved casually in his pockets. She cleared her throat and his head shot up, his face breaking into his signature goofy grin.

"Well damn, the LAPD hired a smoking hot waitress,"

She couldn't help but grin back, throwing a halfhearted punch in the direction of his bicep. He avoided her fist easily, continuing to tease her.

"Shut up," she laughed. From the corner of her eye she saw Reina beaming in their direction. The petite, dark skinned woman was now dressed in the gorgeous red piece and looking rather exquisite. Kensi quickly realized that Reina was not smiling at her bur rather at _them_. Her and Deeks. Reina sent her a good-natured wink, before returning to finish her makeup and the message was clear. _You guys are so cute together_. Kensi smiled back tentatively, turning her attention back to Deeks' rambling.

* * *

Deeks whistled lowly when they entered the grand hall of the hotel. Reina and Callen stood beside him, taking in the magnificent setting of the awards ceremony. The hall was filled with well-dressed men and woman, many donning dress blues, recognition pins and badges. There was champagne, cocktails and finger food being circulated by the servers, gentle violin music accompanied by the loud chattering of the attendees. The lights sparkled above their heads, like stars in the night sky, casting a golden glow over the guests. In the front of the room was a massive stage.

"So this is where our tax money goes huh?" Callen asked rhetorically, snagging three flutes of champagne as a server passed by him, handing his companions one each. They ventured further into the hall, Callen and Reina opting to stay towards the edge of the crowd while Deeks wandered towards the middle, greeting old colleagues.

Reina scanned the crowd, her hand clutching the flute of champagne tightly. Next to her, Callen could see her tense shoulders and her rigid facial expression. He leaned to the side until his lips were beside her ear and whispered, "Relax, this is supposed to be a celebration, remember?"

She grinned then, blushing at his proximity and allowed her bare shoulders to drop. But as quickly as her smile appeared, it disappeared. Her free hand shot forward, closing around Callen's forearm. "Abdul. There he is!" she hissed, her eyes trained towards the other edge of the room.

Callen's eyes followed Reina's to settle on a large, dark skinned man across the room. Abdul looked around tensely before turning on his heel and disappearing towards an empty hallway hidden by a veil of red curtains.

Eric's voice suddenly crackled into their in-ear coms. "That hallway has stairs at the end that lead to the first basement of the hotel. There's second way to the basement."

"Kensi, Deeks, take the second route. Sam, Reina and I will take the hallway. Take out anyone in your way quietly, our goal is the bomb and Chaves," Callen instructed quietly, making his way towards the hallway with Reina on his heels. Sam joined them a few seconds later. The trio ventured down the dimly lit hallway cautiously. It led to a sharp left only about 50 feet in.

Sam paused at the corner seeing an alcove that would provide sufficient cover. His fingers came up in a signal, indicating that he would wait, and keep watch. Callen nodded, moving forward, his grip tightening on his gun. Reina moved lightly behind him, her gun drawn. They could hear Eric providing directions for Kensi and Deeks. Reina and Callen had only made it down halfway down the new hallway when they heard Sam's hiss in their ears.

"I got three guys approaching. They're cartel but dressed like hotel security. I can take out the last one but the other two are out of my reach."

"Copy that," Callen responded. Reina looked around, and to her dismay there were no doorways or alcove that would provide cover. Callen turned towards her, his eyes wide when he came to the same conclusion. They could hear the approaching footsteps and looked at each other, indecision glinting in their gazes. Callen made the first move. He stuffed his gun into waist band, ensuring his jacket would hide it, and stepped forward. She took a step back in response, following his lead and tucking her gun into her purse. Her back hit the wall behind her. The guards were on the brink of turning the corner.

"Drunk?" he asked lowly.

"Drunk," she confirmed.

One of his hands moved forward to rest on the curve of her hip, pressing her against the wall, the other resting firmly beside her face. Reina leaned up, her hand grasping the lapels of his grey jacket and tugged sharply. Callen stumbled forward, his warm body slammed into hers. The contact sent a jolt up her spine and she felt her knees weaken. Callen suddenly realized that his face was impossibly close to hers and he struggled against the urge to kiss her full, red lips.

"Hey, you two aren't supposed to back here!" A voice echoed in the silence of the hallway.

Callen and Reina ignored him. She slid her leg up his, wrapping a heeled foot around the back of his knee and he dropped his head against her neck in surprise. His stubble scratched her sensitive skin and she felt her body temperature rise. Callen's eyes widened when he felt one of her hands move from his jacket, to wrap around his neck, fingers burying themselves in the short hairs at the base of his skull. His lips, almost instinctively, touched the skin at the junction of her neck and shoulder. He could feel her sharp intake of breath, which turned into a low moan, when his tongue darted out to taste the skin. The smell of her lavender shampoo clouded his senses and he struggled to control his breathing.

She was blushing intensely, her ears and neck on fire. The feel of his warm lips on her bare skin was almost too much, his scent invading her nostrils. He smelled like gunpowder, a subtle cologne and _man_. The intimacy was making her dizzy.

Suddenly, it was all over, his body was being ripped away from hers. "This is a restricted area. What the hell are you doing here?"

She let her posture slump, and let out a giggle. "Sorry," her squeal was almost inaudible. Callen, who had exaggeratedly stumbled backwards with the force of the guard's tug on his collar, was sporting a hazy almost annoyed expression.

"We were jus' lookin' for the bathroom, not lookin' for any trouble man," Callen drawled, allowing his words to slur together.

The two cartel guards looked at each other, shrugging. One of them waved his hand towards the front of the hallway and said, "Don't let us catch you back here again."

Reina let out another giggle, allowing Callen to take her hand. The guards turned around, continuing their path down the hallway. Callen signaled towards the shorter guard, and Reina nodded curtly. Together they crept up behind the two unsuspecting cartel members, knocking them unconscious with swift, constricting headlocks.

"Ugly 1 and Ugly 2 are out," Reina reported to the rest of the team.

Sam chuckled, "Ugly 3 is down as well,"

* * *

A/N: So Reina and Callen huh? Let me know what you think of them!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: And I'm back with another installment of Alone Together. Enjoy and review por fa!

* * *

With the unconscious cartel guards dragged out of sight, Callen, Sam and Reina continued their path down the hallway. They were aware that Deeks and Kensi had found the second route to the basement but had lost communication with them. Callen hoped it was due to the basement being out of range, but he had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach nonetheless. In his ear, he could hear Eric and Nell furiously working to get coms back up. Sam was leading this time, his big form stopping abruptly when he reached a door. Reina, who had lost her heels when they were stowing the guards' bodies, stood behind Sam with Callen on their tail. Callen turned his body, gun drawn, and examined the path they had just taken. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned around tapping Reina's elbow. In turn, Reina tapped Sam's shoulder and the muscular agent pulled open the basement door, sliding in silently. Callen and Reina followed softly.

The basement level was a large space, packed with a sea of parked cars. Ducking behind cars in an attempt to stay out of sight, the three moved through the level, looking for signs of the other two, the bomb or the cartel. Reina strained her eyes and ears but there was nothing but silent darkness.

Sam stopped abruptly for the second time that night, indicating towards a sliver of light coming from a door almost hidden against the blackened walls of the basement. In large letters, the words 'Service Room. Hotel Personnel Only' shone against the dark wood of the door. The trio reached the door and Sam grasped the handle firmly. Callen nodded and moved towards the other side of the door, heart pounding, adrenalin pumping through his veins. A peek through the slit in the door revealed voices and moving shadows. Callen nodded a second time, raising his gun in preparation, and Sam heaved open the door sharply. Callen's legs were moving before he could register his full view of the room he was entering. He could hear Sam directly behind him, Reina a few steps behind them. They travelled a few steps further into the room filled with heavy machinery. Loud metallic clanging indicated some sort of generator. Something flashed in Callen's peripheral vision.

"Move!" He heard Reina's hiss too late, because a bright flashlight was being shone in his face, his eyes fluttering in protest to the brightness. As his eyes adjusted he realized that they were surrounded by Abdul and the three other cartel thugs, guns drawn. There was no way they could get any shots in without taking a few bullets themselves.

"Drop the weapons; hands where we can see 'em."

Callen sighed in frustration at Abdul's demand, dropping his gun and raising his hands out in front of him. A quick glance to the side showed him that Sam was following his lead, his gun now resting on the grimy floor of the service room. Reina was nowhere in sight but from the corner of his eye he saw a flash of red fabric disappearing behind a large container. He felt the cold metal of one of the cartel member's guns against his back as he was pushed forward towards the center of the room. Beside him, Sam was being herded forward in a similar manner.

Callen gritted his teeth when they finally came to a stop. Deeks and Kensi were on their knees in the dimly lit area. Their guns were missing, hands bound tightly behind their backs to the narrow column in the center of the room, an ugly bruise already forming on Deeks' jaw and an angry red welt on Kensi's arm.

"Ah, you've arrived. Come join us gentleman, I was just telling your teammates here how much I'm enjoying their company." Chaves' accented voice was as cold and hard as steel, his footsteps echoing through the room, despite the loud metallic screeching of the generator. As he appeared in their line of vision, Callen took in the sharp black suit complemented by the smart tie. He was well-dressed, a strong jaw highlighting his tanned skin and dark eyes. Callen felt himself being roughly lowered to the floor beside Kensi, his arm suddenly useless as they were tied behind him against the hard cement of the column. He could see Sam struggling against the two of Chaves' thugs who were attempting to tie him up beside Deeks. They finally succeeded, a murderous expression making its way onto his partner's broad face.

"Shall we gentlemen?" Chaves asked, smirking. His men leered as they turned their backs on the four struggling agents. Callen saw another flash of red fabric and realized that Chaves had no idea Reina was still in the room. Four shots rang out in rapid succession, and he watched as Abdul and Chaves' men hit the ground, one after the other.

Chaves whirled around snarling, as a bullet whizzed by his face. His own gun was drawn in seconds, sending a spray of bullet back towards Reina. The team watched helplessly. Chaves suddenly ducked seeking cover behind a container. As he crouched out of view, Reina popped up again, using the last of her ammunition and throwing aside her gun before continuing the sending bullets towards Chaves with another gun, which Callen recognized as his. Unfortunately for Chaves he popped up right as Reina fired her last shot, the bullet tearing through his impeccable suit and burying itself in his arm. He roared, firing back. Reina dove for cover but the distinctive tearing of her dress was heard as a bullet grazed her side. She hit the ground in surprise.

Chaves, realizing his opportunity, turned on his heel, sprinting away from the scene, clutching his injured arm. Reina heaved herself off the ground, addressing Eric and Nell through her in-ear coms. "Guys, we lost Chaves, he's headed out the south entrance of the basement, can you find him?"

"We're looking through security cameras right now," came the urgent reply from Nell.

Ignoring her bleeding torso, Reina pulled up her dress, extracting a knife out of its holster on her thigh and cutting Sam loose first. Callen quickly realized why she had chosen Sam first. In the far end of the service room, a massive explosive unit was resting innocently on the floor. The timer attached to it, seemed less innocent. The moment Sam was free he was dashing towards the device, his own knife in hand. Reina was now working on Deeks' bindings furiously.

"Dr. Khan! We found Chaves, he's leaving the hotel through the back entrance. He's on foot but there's a black SUV parked down the street," Eric exclaimed. Reina's eyes glinted dangerously. When Deeks' bindings came undone, she pushed the knife in his hand, whirling around and taking off. Deeks made no attempt to stop her and instead turned to cut his partner and leader loose from their restraints. When Callen was free, he made a dash for Sam.

"I got this G. Go!" Sam said, cutting through a set of wires, his face pulled into an expression of heavy concentration. He nodded, turning around to see that Deeks and Kensi had located their guns and were already running out the basement in pursuit of Reina and Chaves. Realizing that Reina still had his weapon, he swiftly retrieved Sam's from the ground, and tore after them.

They scrambled through the back lobby of the hotel, eliciting strange looks from the small crowd. Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang through the air. Callen, Kensi and Deeks burst through the glass doors of the lobby, stopping in their tracks at the sight. Chaves was on the pavement in front of the hotel's back gate, a bullet firm lodged in his ankle, his blood soiling the pants of his suit. His gun was thrown haphazardly several feet to his left. Reina stood above him, Callen's gun, pointed at Chaves' torso, held steady in her hand. Several onlookers, including guests and security guards, watched helplessly, frozen in their spots.

"R-Reina?" Callen was surprised at the lack of solidity in his voice.

"Rei, you don't have to do this," Deeks soothed. He was closest to her and took a chance by inching forward.

"Don't," Reina's voice was low and scarily stable.

Finding control over his voice, Callen tried again. "Listen to me, Reina, I know you're angry about what you've had to go through these past years and you badly want to blame someone but this isn't on Chaves, it's on Anwar. Okay? And Anwar is going to prison for the rest of his life."

"Don't defend him!" Reina's teeth were gritted and he could tell her composure was crumbling.

Deeks exchanged a quick glance with Callen before taking another step forward, only a few feet away from Reina now. "He's not defending Chaves Rei, he's just trying to stop you from doing something you're going to regret." With Reina in arm's length away from him, the detective leaned forward placing a hand gently on his friend's delicate shoulder, squeezing lightly. The gun dropped to her side almost instantly. Extracting it from her grasp, Deeks held the gun out behind him allowing Callen to take it from him before pulling the petite woman into his embrace. She clung to him briefly, taking deep breaths before pulling away. Her large brown eyes met Callen's pale blue ones.

"Thank you,"

"Of course," he replied with a warm smile, inducing a small smile in return.

The sounds of sirens were heavy in the air, but there was something else. A sense of finality. It really was over, Reina realized. She could finally move on with her life.

* * *

"Mr. Callen, a word?"

"Can I help you Hetty?" Callen couldn't stop from the words coming out cold. With the case done and dusted, the team had returned to the Mission, heads held high and wounds bandaged up. They were getting ready to head out and celebrate when Hetty had beckoned Callen to her office.

"I wanted to congratulate you for wrapping up this case and for a job well done adjusting to Dr. Khan's presence. I know how difficult it is to work on joint investigations."

Callen mentally berated himself for his icy demeanor towards the woman he considered his friend and mentor. He shrugged, lightening his tone, "She was easy to work with."

"She would have made a good agent,"

"Well she's still working for CIA's Science and Tech Department right? I'm sure we'll need her in future investigations as a consult or something."

"Oh, I assumed she would have told you," Hetty responded mysteriously, putting away her laptop as she turned in for the night.

"Told me what?"

"She's leaving the CIA, taking up a research position somewhere I believe? You'll have to talk to her for details." Callen nodded slowly, deep in thought.

"Forgive me for being harsh earlier this week,"

"Don't apologize. You were right Hetty. I screwed up, and I couldn't help but be hard on myself. I didn't mean to let my self-pity get out of control."

"It was not self-pity Mr. Callen," Hetty replied severely. "You were angry at yourself and for good reason. I was angry at you too. But what is done, is done. We must learn to put it behind us."

Callen smiled sadly, "I'm sorry Hetty."

"You are forgiven my dear. Now I believe your teammates are waiting for you?" Hetty asked, glancing around her favorite agent's body at the group still hanging around the bullpen.

Callen chuckled. "We're going to Deeks' place for pizza and beers. Would you like to join us?"

Hetty's eyes twinkled. "Thank you Mr. Callen, but unfortunately I've already got plans. Good evening."

* * *

Deeks' surprisingly tidy apartment was buzzing with activity. Sam, Michelle and Kensi were in the living room, yelling at the TV (or perhaps each other), watching a Lakers game. Eric and Nell were sitting in chairs across the room from them, beers in hand, deep in discussion about a new program that had just been installed the Ops Center. Deeks was in the kitchen with Reina putting final touches to the pizzas they had just pulled out of his oven. Callen, leaning against the kitchen door frame, took a long pull from his own beer bottle, smiling at his team. His eyes wandered to rest on Reina. She was laughing and swiping at Deeks, who was wagging his eyebrow in her direction, with a flat spatula.

She was dressed very simply, in a pair of denim shorts and a pale green shirt, yet somehow managed to look radiantly beautiful, in his opinion. Deeks looked up suddenly, catching the direction of his gaze. Callen averted his eyes quickly but Deeks smirked at him knowingly.

"Hey Callen-" he started slyly.

"Shut up."

"You don't even know what I was going to say,"

"Just, shut up." Deeks grinned back turning back to pizzas.

The team had migrated to the beach just outside of Deeks' apartment. A large blanket was spread out over the sand, carrying plates of pizza and multiple packs of chilled beer. Deeks glanced around at the people sprawled in the sand around the blanket chatting lightly among themselves, the people that had become his family. He sat back contentedly, a slice of pizza in hand, Kensi beside him. They watched the waves as the sun, still offering warm rays of light, sunk slowly into the vast body of water.

Callen plopped down beside Reina, spreading his legs beside her petite brown ones. He offered her a paper plate carrying two slices of the warm homemade pizza. With a smile, she gratefully took one of the slices, taking a bite. Callen watched her sun-kissed face contorting with happiness as the flavors hit her taste buds. He took a bite of his own.

"I'll admit, Deeks makes a killer pizza," he broke the silence lightly.

"Trust me, Deeks is a better at playing house than he looks, he can cook a whole lot more than pizza,"

"Thanks for the blackmail material," he chuckled and she grinned. "I'm glad things aren't weird…after the hallway I mean."

"We were undercover," Reina responded a firm edge on her voice.

Callen nodded, opting to change the subject. "So, Hetty told me you're leaving the CIA."

"Does that woman know everything?"

"Pretty much,"

She paused smiling at his bluntness. "Yeah, I accepted a post at UCLA."

"Good for you,"

She turned her head then. "Do you mean that? Deeks thinks I'm running away."

"I think if it feels right to you, you shouldn't doubt yourself."

"I feel like I've said this a lot since I've met you but, thank you,"

"Of course."

* * *

A/N: Next up, get ready for some jealous Kensi, and some hard core Densi. But first, reviews? What do ya'll think?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So, the case is over, now what? I know this chapter is Densi central but I promise, Calleina are on their way! Behold the next part of Alone Together, enjoy!

* * *

With the case finally over, Reina felt like she could breathe again. She had handed in her resignation with the CIA and began her posting at UCLA as a research professor in Genetics. The decision to leave the federal life behind was difficult but she was looking forward to being a regular, boring civilian. The guest bedroom in Deeks' apartment, her temporary home, had finally been vacated and the team had helped her move into her new apartment.

Over the next few weeks, she became a part of their little family while adjusting to her new life. The team had spent many nights out to blow off steam after difficult cases. Reina was always invited and she had begun to grow closer to them, in particular, to both Deeks' and Sam's delight, Callen. The two had become fast friends and despite the obvious magnetism between them, Callen and Reina had limited their easy friendship to the team bonding nights. Her presence, and Hetty's forgiveness, had done wonders for Callen's morale. His gaunt, lifeless behavior was long gone, and was slowly being replaced with the witty, resilient man they all remembered. Kensi was still uncomfortable with Reina's close relationship with Deeks but was slowly becoming more and more accustomed to her constant presence.

"She's just a friend Fern, I promise,"

"I told you, I don't care Shaggy,"

But she did. And he knew. One Saturday morning, Kensi showed up at Deeks' apartment with breakfast. He had been forced to slip into Max Gentry for a case the previous day and was particularly upset when she had bid him goodnight at the end of the day. She had decided to bring him coffee and donuts the next morning hoping to cheer him up. The door opened to reveal a very sleepy looking Reina clad in one of Deeks' old LAPD shirts and a pair of boy shorts. Her hair was mussed, and she yawned, running a hand through the brown tangled mess.

"Morning Kens,"

But Kensi didn't respond. She was too busy gawking at Reina, who had turned towards the kitchen, evidently searching for coffee. Before she could think clearly, Kensi blurted out, "Are you sleeping with him?"

Reina whipped around, her mouth dropping open and her eyes instantly clearing of sleep. "What?! No."

"No what?" Deeks had chosen that unfortunate moment to walk into his living room, thankfully however, fully dressed. He was holding a cup of coffee and running a hand through the messy blond mop on his head.

Reina snorted, "Your girlfriend thinks I'm sleeping with you,"

Deeks promptly spit out the coffee he had just taken a sip of. "What-girlfriend-no I'm not-Kens wait-"

But Kensi had turned on her heel, storming out his front door. Hastily, Deeks dropped his cup on his coffee table and ran after her. He caught up to her just she reached her car. Jumping forward he placed his hand flat against the window, preventing her from opening the door.

"Please just listen to me Fern,"

"Why should I? Go enjoy your morning Deeks and leave me alone," Kensi replied coldly.

"Will you just stop for a second? I'm not sleeping with her," his voice taking a pleading tone. Being her stubborn self, Kensi attempted to pull her car door open. He was too strong, however, and he quickly repositioned himself, planting his other hand on the other side of her.

Kensi's breath caught in her throat when she realized she was now trapped between his arms with her back to the car. She flattened herself against the door, crossing her arm to put distance between them.

"I'm sorry she threw the word 'girlfriend' at you. She doesn't understand how complicated our-our _thing _is. But Kensalina, _you_ have to understand, I'm not involved with her. I had a rough day; Max always takes a toll on me. She came over with dinner, noticed my shitty mood, and offered to let me rant. We spent the night talking and eating those stupid parmesan bites. It's kind of a tradition," he explained with a small smile.

"So-so you're not sleeping with her?" Kensi's arms slipped to rest at her side.

"No," he responded firmly.

"Oh…okay then. I mean not that I care,"

Deeks through his head back in exasperation. "Will you please, for once, acknowledge that you _do_ care? And even if you don't, I do! There's only one person I want," his shyness and 'bad communication skills' as Kensi constantly insisted he had, flew out the door.

"You couldn't possibly want me," Kensi voice trembled and Deeks felt his heart break.

"But I do," He didn't give her time to respond but bent his arms, pressing her firmly between his body and the car. She gasped when his lips met hers. It was softer, gentler than she had imagined. One of his hands found her waist and the other cupped her face holding it determinedly to his. After a moment of shock, she kissed him back, standing on her toes to eliminate the height difference. Her hands fisted in the front of his shirt. Her mind was in overdrive; he smelled so damn good, like the ocean and clean laundry, and _god_ was he warm.

From the doorway of Deeks' apartment Reina beamed as she witnessed the scene in the open lot. _Finally_, she thought, sipping Deeks' abandoned coffee. She turned around heading towards Deeks' guest bedroom to find her clothes, the grin resting easily on her face. Ten minutes later, Deeks returned to the apartment, closing the front door. Reina had finished dressing and was now walking around with his laundry hamper collecting strewn clothing.

He pouted as he passed by her in the kitchen. "You drank my coffee,"

"Didn't Kensi bring you one?" she replied smirking.

"Shut up,"

* * *

Later that week, after a particularly intense case, the team, Reina and Hetty had descended upon a local bar, alcohol and laughs were floating around the group. Deeks, Sam, Callen and Eric were playing a game of pool while Hetty and Nell sat at the bar, drinks in hand, deep in conversation. Their originally occupied booth now only contained Reina and Kensi. Deeks glanced over at the two smiling in relief as his best friend and his partner seemed to be talking somewhat jovially. He turned his attention back to the pool table to find that he had not been the only one looking in the direction of the two women. Callen's gaze was resting delicately on Reina's cheery features. Deeks' mouth curved into a grin when Reina glanced towards the pool table briefly, catching Callen's blue stare and blushing lightly. Secretly, he hoped Reina would finally stop fighting her attraction towards their team leader or that Callen would finally leave his stubbornness behind and make a move.

At the booth, Reina laughed at the story Kensi was telling her about an amusing cover that she and Deeks were forced to take earlier that day. Reina decided in that moment that she liked Kensi, she was good for Deeks. And despite Kensi's possessiveness and distrust towards her, Reina felt that perhaps it was good that her little brother had someone so strong to watch his back.

"Can I ask you something?" Kensi asked, suddenly somber.

"You want to know about my past with Deeks," Reina responded smirking. Kensi didn't respond, choosing to take sip of her drink and play with her fingers nervously.

"I'm sure he's already said this multiple times but, we're friends."

"I know that!" Kensi said suddenly exasperated. "I want to know if you were ever…_more_."

"Deeks and I have always been more than just friends, we're best friends. I consider him my brother. We've been through a lot together and he's-he's helped me through a lot."

"That's not what I meant," Kensi replied, her brow furrowed.

Reina chuckled, "I know that's not what you meant and I think you should be asking Deeks that question."

"Why won't you just tell me the truth?"

"Because you won't like it. But you have to trust me. Deeks and I are not romantically involved." There was a nonverbal _anymore_ attached to Reina's sentence and Kensi picked up on it almost instantly.

"But you have been in the past?"

Reina's eyes suddenly looked pleading. "Ask Deeks, it's his story to tell. I don't want to get between you guys."

"You already are," Kensi snapped pulling herself off her chair, grabbing her drink and joining the boys at the pool table. Reina exhaled loudly in frustration, downing her drink and heading to the bar to get another one. The truth was, Reina didn't want her past to change things between Deeks and Kensi and for a moment she was annoyed at Kensi adamant behavior. There were things in her past and in Deeks', which just had to stay in the past. She knew that Deeks would never tell Kensi the full truth. He'd tell her about his struggles but he'd never betray Reina by spilling the deep, dark parts of her life. Somehow, she couldn't decide if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. Sighing again, she began on her third drink.

An hour later, Callen could see things heading downhill. Hetty and Sam had already taken off for the night. Eric and Nell were gathering their things and heading towards their respective cars. Kensi and Deeks were standing in the corner. She was glowering at him, and he looked rather irritated. Reina, on the other hand, was still sitting at the bar on her own, a drink in front of her. He analyzed her body language; her shoulders were sagging, her feet swinging aimlessly and a glassy, distant expression on her features. He suddenly realized that she was drunk. Turning to find Deeks, he caught a glimpse of Kensi stalking out of the establishment, her partner following close behind carrying his jacket and a set of car keys.

Callen turned back around and headed towards the bar, easing himself down onto the stool beside the petite scientist.

"Hey," he started softly.

"I think I've had too much to drink," she responded mirroring his soft tone, swaying slightly.

"Can I take you home?"

"I'd really appreciate that," she replied, turning to face him. Her long lashes splayed across her cheeks as she blinked furiously to dispel the dizziness. He slid off his seat and dropped to his feet, catching Reina as she stumbled in attempt to do the same. With one arm around her shoulders, and the other accepting the car keys Reina pushed at him, he led her outside. Her car was the only one left in the lot. Callen helped her climb into the passenger seat before closing the door and walking around the car and sliding into the driver's seat. He started the engine, glancing to his left to find her head resting back against the seat, mouth slightly open, eyes drooping. He smiled at the sight before pulling out of the lot and heading towards her apartment.

* * *

"Why are you so fucking insistent?" Deeks resisted the urge to let his voice rise any further than it had already gone. He stormed into his apartment, Kensi on his heels.

"Because I want to know!" Kensi yelled back. They both knew they shouldn't be having this argument right now. It was nearly 2 in the morning, they had both been drinking and they were both angry.

"I can't tell you everything okay? Some parts of our story are not for me to tell!"

"Our?! So you're admitting you were involved with Reina. Also, she wouldn't tell me because it was apparently your story to tell. Sound fucking familiar?"

"Maybe it's because both she and I recognize that some things just have to stay in the past!" Deeks shot back. There was a beat of silence between them before Deeks continued softly, "Fine. I'll tell you what I can. Sit."

Kensi lowered her self onto his couch, feeling his tired body do the same.

"When my dad was imprisoned, things were difficult for my mom. She passed away when I was 14 and I was put in the system," he started. Kensi withdrew in surprise at his beginning but remained silent. "Before you ask, no one but Reina knows I was in the system. And you I guess. It's not something I like talking about. Being in foster home after foster home was almost worse than having Gordon Brandel as a father. When I was 18, I was accepted by UCLA for their law program and I was finally a legal adult. I moved to an on-campus dorm and started school, hoping to forget everything about my past."

He leaned back, shutting his eyes and toed off his shoes, resting his feet on the table in front of them. Kensi remained rigged.

"But it was hard, I felt myself slipping into bad habits. I-I was turning into my father Kens. Rei was the only one who cared enough to cuff me over the back of my head, tell me I was being stupid and then helped me ditch the drugs. I haven't touched them since. But it wasn't all rainbows and daisies for her either. She was going through a tough time too. Family stuff. It's not my place to tell you," Deeks ended firmly.

"So we did what teenagers do, we sought after comfort and…found it in each other,"

"You dated her?"

Deeks chortled, "Not exactly. We've never had romantic feelings for each other but our friendship had…"

"Benefits," Kensi whispered quietly.

"Yeah," he responded lamely.

They were quiet for a while before Deeks found the right words to continue with. "It was just sex, and it didn't even last long. We both realized that our arrangement would never work. We cared about each other too much and couldn't let ourselves use each other like that. So we fell into a platonic, comfortable friendship."

"You have to understand Kens, Rei is my best friend. She's stuck by me, through thick and thin, and she's saved my life more times that I can count. She knows more about me than any other human being on this planet. If this thing between you and I is going to work, you can't expect me to choose between you guys. I can't push her out of my life, or stop being close to her, it won't work that way. But I can promise you that there is _nothing_ romantic or sexual between us. You both mean completely different things to me, but I care about you both more than you know. I don't want to lose you either," Deeks voice was soft and almost distant, a war waging behind his eyes. And Kensi suddenly realized how selfish she was being, guilt and remorse for what Deeks had endured in his past because of his father and in the present because of her.

"I'm not asking you to choose between us. I promise I'll try harder to not be jealous. I just-it's hard for me to accept that fact that it was so easy for you to let her in and that it was the total opposite with me," Kensi admitted, reaching over to take his hand.

He squeezed gently. "That's not true. It was insanely hard to let Rei in, but at that time, my walls were still being built and Rei's a fucking bulldozer," he grinned and she couldn't help but doing the same. "When you came into my life, my walls were rock solid. But you're finding your way past them anyways. You've just-you've just got to be patient with me."

"I will," she promised, allowing him to draw her into his arms. They leaned back against the couch in silence, enjoying the feel of being in each other's arms. She could feel herself being lulled to sleep, his steady heartbeat under her ear. Just as she fell asleep, she felt him lean down slightly.

"Just so you know, I think jealous Kensi is pretty hot."

She snorted at his words before responding, "Night lover boy,"

"Night Fern,"

* * *

A/N: Reviews por fa? Tell me what ya'll think!


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